Circus Envy - A New Dawn EP

Circus Envy
A New Dawn EP

Hull’s been a pretty decent place for music over the years. I know this as I lived there for three years and the locals never let up about the usual suspects, notably The Housemartins and eventual spin-off band, The Beautiful South, as well as Everything But The Girl and The Christians. Nonetheless, the scene in the city was always alive with budding artists. One I never had chance to see were Circus Envy. Nothing like a catch-up, right?

While Circus Envy profess to sounding like no-one else, it doesn’t entirely ring true. As much as this sounds like a negative issue, it isn’t. Many of the artists I can really compare them to manage to be Radio 2-recognised folk singers with enough in the way of awards to justify their existence in what remains to be one of the most diverse and competitive genres in the UK.

Although it’s only a short five-track offering, A New Dawn is diverse enough to show the guys’ abilities in all pockets of folk. The opener, which the album is named after, is a genuinely sad affair that is impressively (and bravely, it must be said) pushed forward by acoustic guitar, vocals and occasional harmony for the first minute.

Sometimes, that kind of behaviour is enough to turn away many, and yet it still hooks you. It’s akin to more introspective numbers from Duke Special’s I Never Thought This Day Would Come without the overt Irish accent; the slow build-up of strings and piano, working beautifully with a quiet lilting acoustic guitar and unimposing drum beat, just works. The choral harmony is also something darned impressive in terms of consistency.

After the general malaise in terms of mood of the opener, Circus Envy want you to bounce back into happiness. In fact, they demand it. Despite ‘Going Nowhere’ sounding remarkably negative, it’s not; a faster pace, combined with beautiful minor detailing on the guitar and emotive vocals regarding a wavering relationship, make this a great tune to lead us into the next tune.

I’m not a fan of sea shanties because I think they sound the same for the large part. Then again, the odd bit of fiddle and violin never goes amiss when you’re in the right mood, as ‘Three Score and Ten’ proves. An anomaly on an album that seems much more passionate in a different way, it effortlessly uses token mentions of the east coast of England (Scarborough and Grimsby to name two) combined with a great story-telling element that belies its happy-sounding nature. As an Englishman, I love nothing more than a mention of a place I know of. Even if it’s Grimsby. Still, at least it’s not Cleethorpes.

Track four of five, ‘The Game’, is much more muted; the kind of stuff you expect to be playing in the likes of a Piccolino restaurant/bar chain on an evening of pizzas and contemporary chat with intellectual groups who only seem to be clever because of the atmospheric setting.

Again, it’s a showcase of harmony-led vocals, though with a certain jazz club element brought about by an unconventional beat. It’s calm, measured and… well, the fourth string to Circus Envy’s bow in four attempts, diversity-wise. I daresay this is also my favourite track from the album, though overindulgence on this part from the band in future could result in a spell as a particularly forgettable band. More of the same, but in measured chunks, please.

As a closing song for the EP, ‘The Night Draws Closer’ is a natural choice of the five, even if we’re talking in basic terms of the name of the song. As it gradually fades out, you’re left with memories of a strong riff, the odd dramatic pause, the perfect placement of crashing cymbals and, to top it off, a remarkable feeling of romance. I mean hell, I’m single and I felt like I was in love (and seriously, that’s both enlightening and depressing to say at the same time). Powerful lyrics about dancing alone with the intended partner mean much more with the aforementioned full stops after each line brought about by instrumental silence. Yeah, it’s great.

As far as I’m concerned, this is one of the most promising EPs I’ve heard this year in terms of arrangement, it works perfectly, taking you from low to high to calm; evening listening at its finest. What’s more, the recording quality – although it can sometimes be weighed a little heavily in favour of vocals – is remarkable for a band still emerging from the local scene.

Great acoustics, passionate vocals with great harmonies, a wide variety of instrumental influences and atmospheric drumming make this offering a true winner – or, at least, a signal of good things to come. Sure, it’s not perfect, but given the general view of Hull in the public eye across the UK, it’s proof that Hull ain’t dull.

Sure, I’m biased with my upbringing in the city, but with Circus Envy? Some things can’t be denied; these guys are great. Support them when you can, because some local bands ought to have the push to become nationally-recognised.

By Matt Gardner

Visit Circus Envy at their MySpace page. Spread the word. They’re worth it.